Significant cost implications

As we warned the industry earlier in the year, their failure to implement a holistic national recycling solution for vapes, adopted by their customers, could now see their costs of compliance increase by 500% over the next 3 months with little to no control.

The Environment Agency began the first step of implementing the changes by writing to producer compliance schemes on the 27^th of September. They are now required to disclose the weight of vapes placed on the market by their members so that the cost of collection and treatment at local authority household waste recycling centres can be charged back.

We are expecting a significant initial cost for vape producers. Due to the cost of vape treatment, there is likely to be a large backlog at local authority sites that have been waiting for this change to recycle their vapes at no cost.

With estimates placing grey market and illegal vapes at 45% of those sold and discarded, this will likely result in a disproportionately high cost for responsible vape producers who, having fulfilled their legal obligations by joining a WEEE compliance scheme, now find themselves having to fund the recycling of all vapes, including the contraband. Further to this, the rules do not distinguish between reusable and disposable vapes, so despite producers of reusable vapes being overwhelmingly the most compliant under the WEEE regulations and producing the least waste, they are being dealt a double blow for the cost of recycling.

Managing the impact

With the rumoured ban on disposable vapes unlikely to be implemented before 2025 (if at all), if the vape industry is to bring down the cost of WEEE producer compliance, they must act in unison to take control of the recycling situation. Although we have helped organisations from NHS Trusts and Universities, through to retailers like VPZ and Tesco to implement a vape recycling solution for their customers (we are in fact, close to hitting 5,000 drop-off points across the UK), there is still much to do. A national, coordinated education and collection campaign, driven by the industry would allow them not only greater control over their costs but to encourage responsible recycling, reducing the 700 fires caused by vapes in recycling facilities every year and safeguarding the lithium contained in their devices.

If you’re a vape producer wishing to discuss your obligation with our compliance team, please contact us at compliance@wastecare.co.uk

For more information on our vape and battery collection services, please contact the team at recycling@wastecare.co.uk, or call 0800 091 0000.

In recent years, we have all been witness to a concerning increase in UK battery fires, posing significant risks to public safety and the environment. These fires are often ignited during the disposal and recycling of batteries, which contain hazardous materials like lithium-ion.

This increase has now accelerated sharply, with local authorities across the UK now reporting battery-related fires at their recycling centres and waste facilities on an almost monthly basis. These fires not only endanger workers but also release toxic fumes into the atmosphere contributing to hazardous air pollution. Additionally, the financial burden of extinguishing these fires and addressing their aftermath falls on local communities and taxpayers.

Can we pinpoint the UK battery fire issue?

As a provider of recycling solutions, this dramatic increase in battery fires combined with increased media coverage has become a pressing discussion within Wastecare. We know recycling accessibility is not a barrier, with us as a company alone providing over 30,000 battery collection points nationwide. In addition, the ability to manage increased recycling would also not pose an issue, with our battery processing facility in Halifax offering a capacity capable of recycling 100% of the UK’s used portable batteries. Therefore, we know that it’s not because the means to recycle batteries aren’t there ­­- the British public simply doesn’t feel incentivised to carry it out.

With millions of portable batteries on the UK market, analysing the attitudes towards batteries themselves may expose the root of the problem. Batteries are an easy commodity to come by in your local supermarket or electronics retailer, with a range of price points making them accessible to a majority. In regards to the disposal of these, statistics show that the average person in the UK will throw away 10 portable batteries a year. Our assumption, therefore, is that if one individual is throwing less than one portable battery away a month it may not feel like a pressing issue to recycle them – due to the infrequent habit of having to do it. However, the cumulative impact of this action on a yearly basis equates to over 600 million batteries.

What’s more, the knock-on effect of low recycling volumes continues to impact the battery producers themselves. With revised battery regulations expected in 2024/25, if the current levels of recycling are maintained the UK is unlikely to meet its battery recycling targets – significantly impacting obligations costs for compliant producers.

So how can we influence public behaviour?

Motivating a habit change – Consumer-facing businesses manufacturing or distributing portable batteries have a responsibility to provide incentives to recycle them. Point-of-sale call-to-actions are often relied upon to remind consumers to recycle, however, the ability to provide further education via digital platforms should not be overlooked. Campaigns such as Material Focus’ ‘Hypnocat’, are brilliant examples of using positive and engaging social media messaging to emphasise the dangers of not recycling WEEE. With large platforms with a high reach across the UK, major retailers have a responsibility to use these social platforms to provide education on recycling initiatives and support their consumers on how and where they can access collection points.

Looking within the workplace – Although digital campaigns have a place and can have significant reach, the power of education drives within the workplace shouldn’t be underestimated. With companies and offices nationwide containing hundreds of thousands of portable battery consumers – implementing internal communications on recycling along with convenient collection solutions within local areas can be a valuable addition to aiding consumer consciousness. This can have a two-fold impact – managing the usage of WEEE products using portable batteries in the workplace, whilst encouraging employees to utilise collection points to recycle their own household batteries.

Local authorities reporting fires – The unfortunate inevitability is that battery-related fires are unlikely to slow down until recycling rates rise significantly. By reporting fires occurring in local authorities’ recycling facilities and waste centres, this key trend data is key to getting public attention on how serious the problem has become.

Conclusion

Ultimately, all those who play a role in the life cycle of portable batteries have a responsibility to educate and support the wider UK population on battery recycling. This will require a cohesive and joint-up approach, as we know one consistent message is far more effective than a confusing narrative of conflicting instructions.

From our standpoint, it is about emphasising the impact of battery fires in a way that resonates with the majority of consumers whilst aiding convenient and easy collection – resulting in a culture change making battery recycling as habitual as putting out your household waste black bin. Imminent pan-industry schemes are set to be implemented, however, large retailers serving much of the UK population also have a responsibility to harness the platforms they have to influence battery consumer habits.

The Wastecare team are back from a jam-packed two days at the Resource and Waste Management Expo at the NEC – and it did not disappoint! As one of the key sponsors of the event, with our logo gracing the entranceways and lanyards, and our famous Silver Lady Bus standing proudly on our stand – we were hard to miss.

There was a tangible buzz about this year’s event, with the exhibition taking on a new format under the ESS umbrella, hosting all the major players in recycling, waste management, contamination and flood management, energy and decarbonisation. This meant two days of non-stop delegate footfall and meetups with new and familiar faces across the sustainability sector – including an impromptu photoshoot with the Wombles to top it all off.

Aside from the reunions and the laughter, it didn’t go amiss the importance of these exhibitions and showcasing our commitment as a company to the sector. We pride ourselves on our honesty and transparency within Wastecare, and spending time with those within the wider industry only motivates us further to provide both the commercial and industrial sectors with the highest standards of reuse, recovery and recycling – using sustainable practices every time.

Valuable catchups

The Wastecare team were thrilled to be inundated with visits from our respected and long-standing peers within the industry, as we know the value of face-to-face catchups with those we work with daily to strengthen our relationships. Not only was it a great opportunity to reconnect, but there were a multitude of new faces stopping by keen to gain some insight on the spectrum of waste streams and recycling solutions we have on offer and what it’s like to work with Wastecare.

“Wastecare is aways extremely proud to participate in the RWM as it provides a collaborative platform for the waste management industry to come together and exchange ideas. We firmly believe that by engaging with both current and potential customers, we can gain deeper insights into their specific requirements and develop tailored solutions that address their environmental goals, cost efficiencies, and operational effectiveness” commented Wastecare’s Sales Director Matt Stoneman on the exhibition.”

Mr Stoneman went on to discuss the value of exhibiting at the show: “As a result of the RWM we have established numerous promising business connections and leads indicating keen interest in our comprehensive waste management solutions. We remain committed to collaborating with industry stakeholders, supporting sustainable practices, and delivering cutting-edge waste management solutions to our existing and potential customers. By actively engaging with customers through events such as these, the company continues to solidify its position within the ecosystem as a trusted partner for innovative waste management strategies across the UK.”

 

Battery fires and packaging EPR

Battery fires and disposable vapes were unsurprisingly a common topic of conversation, with growing concerns from local authorities on how to handle the significant increase in landfill fires. As one of the leading battery collection providers across the country, with extended vape collection solutions also on the horizon, discussing viable solutions to these issues was commonplace over the two days.

Our producer compliance team also met with current and prospective scheme members, to discuss the series of upcoming regulation changes for battery and packaging, as well as the DRS. Catchups also covered the packaging EPR – a well-documented regulation in the UK media currently, with reporting deadlines delayed until May next year – with the team providing advice and guidance to peers on how they can support them with this change.

Our key takeaways

So after another successful year at the exhibition, we are yet again reminded of the importance of collaboration within the waste and recycling sector. Transparent and honest conversations about the waste management industry’s challenges are what we pride ourselves on here at Wastecare, and we thoroughly enjoyed sharing with delegates how we’re innovating our approaches to ensure simple and cost-effective solutions remain at the forefront of our service.

If you met with us at RWM, we thank you for dropping by and look forward to catching up soon. If you couldn’t make it to this years exhibition, Peter and the team would welcome you to get in touch.

Until next year, the Wastecare team and the Silver Lady – over and out!

Wastecare Group, a specialist in hazardous waste management solutions, is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Stage 1 audit for ISO 45001 certification. This achievement underscores the company’s unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards in occupational health and safety management systems.

ISO 45001 is an internationally recognised standard that sets out requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an occupational health and safety management system. This standard places paramount importance on ensuring a safe and secure work environment for employees, contractors, and all stakeholders associated with an organisation’s operations.

The Stage 1 audit is a critical milestone, involving a comprehensive assessment of the company’s practices in line with the ISO 45001 standard’s requirements. The benefits for companies such as Wastecare moving onto Stage 2 of implementing the system, and gaining the certificate, include:

• Ensuring an organisation’s reputation as a safe place to work is promoted
• Improving its ability to respond to regulatory compliance issues
• Reducing the overall costs of incidents
• Reducing downtime and the costs of disruption to operations
• Reducing the cost of insurance premiums
• Reducing absenteeism and employee turnover rates
• Recognition for having achieved an international benchmark

“We are thrilled to have passed Stage 1 of the ISO 45001 certification process,” said Helen Kellett, Head of Quality & Environmental at Wastecare Group. “This achievement validates our ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety and welfare of our employees, customers, and the communities we serve. We firmly believe that a strong occupational health and safety management system is not only a regulatory requirement but also a cornerstone of our company values.”

Wastecare Group is now looking ahead to the Stage 2 audit, scheduled for January 2024 across their sites nationwide. Successful completion of this stage will result in the award of ISO 45001 certification, reinforcing Wastecare’s position as an industry leader in safety and responsible business practices.